Committing Pet Peeves

Learning to write clearly and effectively is a central part of your education. As the Hamilton College Catalogue notes, "The college expects its students to think, write and speak with clarity, understanding and precision." Below is a list of professors' pet peeves you should bear in mind as you aim for "clarity, understanding and precision" in your writing.

Pet Peeve

Example

utilize vs. use

“Descartes utilizes the wax argument to show that we know physical objects with the mind, not the senses.”

singular/plural disagreement

“The student finished the essay, only to discover that their printer did not work.”

bloated diction

“Once liberty is actualized, justice will burgeon.”

"inflated, imprecise words"

The lifestyles of many individuals were difficult due to what society utilized against them.